Press Room

Justice Center in the News

The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center has issued what it calls a first-of-its-kind, web-based resource combining data analyses, case studies and recommended strategies for all 50 states to help policymakers address public safety challenges.

“Rural areas, which traditionally have had lower crime rates, have seen dramatic increases in incarceration rates,” says Jacob Kang-Brown, a senior research associate with the Vera Institute of Justice. “We see them now having the highest incarceration rates in the country.”

Last week, the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii sent a one-question email survey to over 300 candidates for elective office in Hawaii to determine their position on whether the Aloha State should legalize cannabis for adult use.

Missouri was faced with an alarming report in 2017 that said either spend $189 million over the next five years — primarily by improving treatment options for people with behavioral health problems — or risk paying $485 million to build and run two new prisons.

Two organizations that are often on opposite sides of political issues have joined forces for a panel discussion Friday evening.

Americans for Prosperity (AFP), the libertarian group bankrolled by the billionaire Koch network, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which defends the Bill of Rights and has been associated with progressive policies, have teamed up to host a bipartisan panel to discuss ways to end mass incarceration in Missouri.

Measures expected to be pursued to stem the number of people behind bars in Missouri include pushes for granting more clemency petitions, defending a law that limits the amount of money municipalities can take in from fines, and better funding public defenders.

This website is funded in part through a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs,
U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components
operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this website (including, without
limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided).